Together now for almost 55 years, releasing 25 studio albums in that timeframe, touring all the while, and in possession of one of the most "I wish I had thought of that one first" names for a rock and roll band, The Rolling Stones are the behemoths of 20th and now 21st Century rock music. (Even though all of my choices coming out within 8 years of each other.) The group has gone through many phases in the timeframe while retaining lead singer Mick Jagger, lead guitarist Keith Richards, and lead drummer Charlie Watts, but the era of Rolling Stones music I find the most striking was made within the lifetime of its founding member, the long-deceased multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones.

420 to 30: A Music Retrospective

60 Weeks to 30 Years-Old, with 420 Songs by 60 Different Artists


Here's 7 of my favorites from The Rolling Stones.

Week 15: THE ROLLING STONES

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#099/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Under My Thumb”

(originally from 1966, Aftermath)

Although their earliest albums are mostly made up of cover songs, by 1966 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had reversed that and became responsible for writing all of the music on their albums, beginning with Aftermath. This song comes on a really great one despite having different leading tracks in the UK and US versions (thereby omitting one of two of the album’s best songs in either country). The best track to be featured on both though, is this.

It’s got an interesting, atypical theme as many Rolling Stones songs do. In this case it seems to be the perspective of a guy bragging, who was tormented by a woman he wanted and eventually turned the relationship around and now has her “under his thumb” instead. She won’t flirt with anyone else, but he still can, she doesn’t talk back, dresses modestly in public, etc. and life is good for this man. Sort of an immature perspective, but an interesting take on the emotion and male character nonetheless. And it’s really catchy. Mick Jagger has some great vocals here.

“The way she does just what she's told down to me. The change has come. She's under my thumb.”

Wait what are we singing about?

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#100/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Angie”

(originally from 1973, “Angie/Silver Train”)

“When will those clouds all disappear?”

My favorite from the Stones in the 70s. This was a number one hit for them in 1973 and it’s one of The Rolling Stones songs I have the most memories attached to, going back to when I was a little kid and my dad would sing a parody of this song about our neighbor who was named Angie that used to watch my sister and I.

Keith Richards is said to be the primary author of this one, so there is some family pride there. It’s possible that we are relatives. IT IS POSSIBLE. (I am also very proud of how many drugs he has consumed and how long he has lived in spite of that.)

I also distinctly remember leaving the paradisiacal Palomino in 2015 with a heavy heart while this song played on my headphones and I watched the coast slowly disappear from the bus.

I’m not quite as into the honky tonk piano version of The Rolling Stones, but here the piano and pace really serve the music. One of their best!

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#101/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Gimme Shelter”

(originally from 1969, Let It Bleed)

Featuring co-lead vocals from Mick Jagger and guest star Merry Clayton, indeed there are some notes that even Mick Jagger cannot hit. Enter Merry. Okay actually Mick probably could hit these notes in falsetto but nonetheless!

Considered one of their very best for good reason, it almost seems redundant to try and explain why on my part.

Maybe it’s sufficient to say, there isn’t much else in this life that can compel you sing the words, “Rape, murder! It's just a shot away. It's just a shot away.”

Of course, it’s a relatable message when taken in full context. War, rape, murder, children dying, it is suffocating. Gimme shelter.

Love instead, kiss instead.

At least that’s my interpretation.

Although Brian Jones isn’t on this track, his role in the band already diminished from a combination of problems with drugs and the new direction the band was taking towards a more bluesy sound at odds with Jones’ style (his style which I preferred), Let It Bleed would be his final album with The Rolling Stones. He died before its release earlier that year in July, one month after being asked to leave the group.

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#102/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Ruby Tuesday”

(originally from 1967, “Let’s Spend the Night Together/Ruby Tuesday”)

Not the most typical sound from The Rolling Stones, a bit more pop influenced, but it was a big hit for them reaching number one. Keith Richards makes some magic on the strings.

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#103/420 - The Rolling Stones, “19th Nervous Breakdown”

(originally from 1966, “19th Nervous Breakdown/As Tears Go By”)

One of the Stones’ best bangers. I also dig the theme. The “here it comes, here it comes” build-up is a fine execution of the internal panic of an incoming nervous breakdown… and actually makes it kind of fun. Sometimes if I’m having a nervous breakdown, I flip on this song and contort myself into letting a little life inject itself into my anxiety. Maybe stop, and look around.

And the best bridge, “Ohh, who's to blame?" "Well, nothing I do don't seem to work. It only seems to make matters worse, oh pleeeeeease.” Been there, Mick!

I mentioned Elvis being under-appreciated by my generation, but The Rolling Stones are clearly even more under-appreciated. And they had better music too. Plus, listen to Mick Jagger on a song like this. Just a great voice for rock and roll.

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#104/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Paint It, Black”

(originally from 1966, “Paint It, Black/Long, Long While”)

A song that has become associated with the Vietnam War era, used to excellent effect in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, it’s also one of the best songs ever recorded by The Rolling Stones.

Brian Jones picks up the sitar on this one, twanging its way in before Charlie Watts has one of his shiningest moments on the drums with that distinct opening “WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP” as Bill Wyman and Keith Richards come chugging in on the guitars.

“I see a red door and I want it painted black” is such an interesting opening line too. Very abstract. Definitely one of the best coming togethers of the classic 5 Rolling Stones lineup.

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#105/420 - The Rolling Stones, “Street Fighting Man”

(originally from 1968, “Street Fighting Man/No Expectations”)

This is a top 5 song of all time for me. Completely enamored with this one. I can’t think of another song that hooks you in better from the very first second than this one does. Maybe you can, but I cannot. This is the type of Voltron power I occasionally refer to that few bands on few songs ever achieve, but here it is, as mighty a form as ever. (Even though Keith Richards is actually on bass here, not Bill Wyman but nonetheless, VOLTRON.)

I listened to Keith describe the recording process here and apparently they recorded these tracks in small bedrooms with small instruments (including a tiny drum set) right in front of the mics to produce the sound we get here. There’s something like 7 different guitars/stringed instruments being played, all plugged in acoustics, by Keith Richards and Brian Jones. Well-known session musician Nicky Hopkins is on piano which totally makes the end of this song and session man Dave Mason plays the bass drum which totally makes the beginning. Mick Jagger is on a shaker or something too and it all just goes so well together to produce this tremendous sound.

Everything this song has going on musically completely overshadows the words being sung for me, but they also happen to be among the Stones’ most interesting and provocative.

The creativity and experimentation in recording this one all paid off to create, in my opinion, The Rolling Stones’ best song.

Songs that sound like this would all but disappear from their releases starting in the 1970s after Jones was kicked out and subsequently drowned in his own pool a month later. The band was definitely forever changed after that as the magic they had in the 60s I think is more than just Richards and Jagger, I think what Jones added put that talent through the top. While the Jones Stones are my favorite though, the group is still around today for a reason. Anyway you look at it, this is one band that can put out a beefy “Best of”.

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The list is now 25% through. (Time sure flies. I need to pick things up in my life!!!)

So far, it could be observed that many of my choices have not been very recent bands. That is definitely a pattern that will overall continue because, generally speaking, most of the newer artists I really like have not accumulated enough of a body of work for me to have 7 songs to gush over yet, but I’m going to start peppering in more of my favorite bands from the last 15 years as well.

Next week, I will kick that off in what I am calling “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” Month which will have nothing to do with Dr. Dre or Snoop Dogg but rather where every artist’s name begins with the letter “G” (get excited, folks) beginning with my absolute favorite group during high school/college. Although a relatively recent act, it’s now been 10 years since their last release much to my extreme sadness. But nothing can replace the countless hours I spent listening to the only two albums they have graced us with. It’s Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green’s wonderful little experiment, Gnarls Barkley.

420 to 30: A Music Retrospective

60 Weeks to 30 Years-Old, with 420 Songs by 60 Different Artists

Week 1: Johnny Cash
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors

View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)